Flatiron supporting mechanism



Patentedjlan. l2, 1943 FLATIRON 'SUPPORTING MECHANISM Robert 0. Stevenson, Philadelphia. Pa., assignor to Proctor & Schwartz, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 7, 1940, Serial No. 339,229

8 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for supporting a flat-iron away from an operating surface whenever the iron is not being used.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a relatively simplified device of this character embodying certain novel features affording the device certain advantages and improvements over prior devices of the same class.

A more specic object of the invention is ,to provide a device of the character set forth which is relatively easy for the user to operate and which is of relatively simple construction, and consequently, comparatively less expensive to manufacture.

A further object 'of the invention is to provide a device of the stated character wherein the supporting means for the iron has associated therewith a nger-'releasable latching mecha nism for latching said supporting member in both retracted and iron-supporting positions.

A still further and important object of the invention is to provide a novel combined flatiron and support structure which does not re quire that the iron be lifted bodily to effect supporting thereof, but requires only that the iron be slightly tilted upwardly, whereupon it is automatically latched in supported position.

These and other objects of the invention and the various features and details of its construction and operation are hereinafter fully set forth and described, and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the fiatironshowing a substantial portion thereof in prises a flat-iron body I and a handle 2 -ilxedly v secured thereto. :For the most part,` the handle is hollow to accommodate the parts hereinv,after described.

The body'` I comprises the usual sole plate 3 I* and cover 4 which, in thepresent instance, ex-

tends beyond the rear ofthe sole plate to provide a rearwardly extending hood 5. A supporting plate 6 is secured to the rear of the sole plate 3 and has ,turned up ears 1 for supporting a transverse pin 8 upon which the iron-supporting structure or lmember 94 (see Figure 2) is pivotally carried. 4 v

The supporting member 9 has forwardly extending feet I0 which extend longitudinally of the iron and when said member 9 is in its inoperative position, as shown in Figure 1, these feet I0 are disposed wit-hin recesses II in the body I. This supporting member 9 also comprises a pair of arms I2 which extend upwardly into the handle 2 and which carry between their upper ends a wedge-shaped cam or element I3.

It should be pointed out that the supporting member 9, and particularly the forwardly ex- -tending feetl I0 thereof, have essentially such mass or weight that, unless restrained, said supporting member 9 will pivot or move into operative or iron-supporting position under the iniluence of gravity whenever .the iron is lifted or tilted upwardly from the operating surface. It will be apparent that substantially all of the weight of the support 9 is forwardly of the pivot point, and since the support has substantial mass particularly due to the massive construction of legs III,l a very substantial ygravitational force acts on the support. Since a large portion of the legs I0 disappears into the body and within Athe cover 4, the legs may be made strong and massive without detracting from the appearance of the iron.

The supporting member 9v is held in its retracted or inoperative position against the action of gravity thereon by` the latching mechanism now to be described and this same mechanism is operable also to latch said supporting member 9 in its operating or iron-supporting position when the latter is released and permitted to move thereto. I

Within the hollow portion of the handle 2, there is pivotally mounted an arm or lever- I4, the pivot pin being shown at'IE. At the forward end of lever I4 there is provided a finger-operable member I6 which protrudes from an opening I'I in the handle 2 at the front thereof and has -a, serrated portion Ilia engageable by the thumb of the user of the iron. The other or rearward end portion of the arm or lever I4 is formed to provide a forwardly facing hook I8 and a rearwardly facing cam edge or surface I9. yCoiled about the pivot pin I5 isl a wire spring 20, the opposite end portions of which engage, respectively, an aperture 2I in said lever orarm I4 l' and the underside of the top' portion of the handle 2, the arrangement being such that the urge said arm or lever I4 in a counter-clockwise direction about said pin I5.

When the supporting member 9 is in its inoperative position shown in Figure 1 of the drawing, the rearwardly facing cam edge or surface I9 of theflever or arm I4 is disposed forwardly of the cam element I3 carried by the. upper ends of the arm portions I2 of supporting member 9 in which position it is held by the spring 20, thus retaining the supporting member 9 in said retracted or inoperative position with the forwardly extending feet I thereof retracted within the recesses II in the body I of the iron. In this position, the legs I0 are slightly above the operating surface.

Now when it is desired to discontinue the use of the at-iron, the user depresses the latchtripping member I with the thumb, causing the lever or arm I4 to pivot in a clockwise direction about its pivot pin I5 and against the action of the spring 20. This clockwise movement of the arm or lever I4 disengages its cam surface from the cam element I3 of the supporting member 9, and the latter is thereupon free to engage the ironing surface and to dispose itself in iron-supporting position, shown in Figure 3, when the user lifts the iron so that its forward end is tilted? upwardly from the operating surface.

After the latch-tripping member I6 has been thus depressed to release the supporting member 9 so that it may move into iron-supporting posit-ion, the spring 20 urges the lever or arm I4 in a counter-clockwise direction about lits pivot pin I5 so as to engage the hook portion I9 of said arm I4 rearward of the cam element I3 of supporting member 9, thereby latching the latter in iron-supporting position as and in the manner shown in Figure 3 of the drawing.

Now when it is desired to again use the iron', the user again engages the latch-tripping member I6 with the thumb to actuate the arm or lever I4 again in a clockwise direction against the action of the spring 20, thus disengaging the hook I8 from the cam element I3 of the supporting member 9 and permitting the supporting member 9 to be disposed in its inoperative or retracted position merely by lowering the -iron upon the operating surface. At the same time the thumb is removed from the latch-tripping member I6 and the spring 20 again actuates the arm or lever I4 in a counterclockwlse direction to position the carn edge or surface I9 forwardly of and in engagement with the cam element I3 of the supporting member 9 to retain the latter in said inoperative or retracted position. As the iron is returned to the ironing surface and the thumb removed from member I6, the face I9 of lever I4 rests against the forward surface of -end tilts upwardly from the operating surface,

to cause the supporting member to be disposed in iron-supporting position by gravity, in which position it is latched by said latching mechanism. Moreover, when it is desired to again use the iron, it is only necessary to trip the latching mechanism and lower the iron upon the operating surface in order to retract the supporting member which is then retained in said retracted position by said latching mechanism.

While a particular embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described, it is not intended to limit the invention to such disclosure but that changes and modifications may be made and incorporated therein within the scope of the annexed claims.

I claim: A

l. In aflat-iron. a body, a unitary support pivotally mounted at the rear of said body and having a pair of legs extending forwardly of the body at opposite sides thereof, said support being disposable in its supporting and retracted positions by tiltably raising and lowering the iron, a lever including a cam and hook portion arranged to engage a member rigidly associated with said support and retain the same in retracted and supporting positions respectively, a spring continuously urging said lever into retaining position whereby the support is automatically retained in said retracted and supporting positions whenever the iron is raised and lowered, and means for releasing said retaining means at will to permit disposition of the support in either of its said positions.

2. In a Hat-iron, aA body, a handle aiixed to said body, at least a part of said handle being hollow, a-support pivotally mounted at the rear of said body, said support having supporting legs extending forwardly of the body and an arm extending in fixed angular relation to said legs into the hollow part of the handle, said support being disposable in its supporting and retracted positions by tiltably raising and lowering the iron, manually operable means within said handle including portions arranged to engage said arm and retain the support in retracted and supporting i positions respectively, and means responsive to engagement of said last means with said arm, when the iron is lowered, to urge said support into retracted position.

3. In a fiat-iron, a body, a handle aiiixed to said body, at least a part of said handle being hollow, a support pivotally mounted at the rear of said body, said support having supporting legs. extending forwardly of the body and an arm extending in xed angular relation to said legs into the hollow part of the handle, said support being disposable in its supporting and retractedmountedon said body and arranged for gravitational disposition-in its supporting position by raising the iron, means responsive to raising,

movement of the iron for latching said support, and means constructed and arranged to raise said support toa retracted position above the' ironing surface whenever the iron is lowered into engagement with said surface.

5. In combination, a flat-iron and a supporty thereon relatively movable to dispose said support either in retracted or supporting position relative to the iron, whereby the iron may be supported in a raised position, a rst means to latch the support in supporting position, a second means adapted to engage a portion of said support near its inoperative position and to urge it to said inoperative position, both said means being normally resiliently urged into engaging position, and manually controlled means to simultaneously urge both said means away from said engaging position.

6. In combination, a flat-iron and a support thereon relatively movable to dispose said support either in retracted or supporting position relative to the iron, whereby the iron may be supported in a raised position, said support having a rigid arm associated therewith, a first 'n means to engage said arm and latch the support '7. In a. flat-iron, a body, a handleuafxed to said body, at least a part of said handle being hollow, a support pivotally mounted at the rear of said body, said support having supporting legs extending forwardly of the body and an arm extending in fixed angular relation to said legs into the hollow part of the handle, said support being disposable in its supporting and retracted positions by tiltably raising and lowering the iron, a pivoted lever Within said handle, a first means on said lever adapted to latchably engage said arm when the iron is tilted upward to its supported position, whereby the support is automatically latched relative to the iron to maintain the iron in supported position,- a. second means on said lever adapted to engage said arm and move the support to retracted position, means resiliently urging said lever to its engaging position with respect to said arm, and means on said lever extending exteriorly of said handle for moving said lever at will away from its engaging position.

8. In a at-iron, a body, a stationary handle on said body, a support movably mounted on said body, whereby the iron is movable relative to said support to a raised position above the operating surface, and means responsive to downward manual movement of the iron for liftingy said. support away from the operating surface and for maintaining the support in its inoperative position.

ROBERT O. STEVENSON. 

